


I was dancing in the rain, I felt alive and I can't complain

by donttouchtheneednoggle



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Missing Scene, Post-Episode: s01e03 The Mark of Nimueh, awkward teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28649244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donttouchtheneednoggle/pseuds/donttouchtheneednoggle
Summary: In which Gwen is extremely perceptive and Merlin sucks at deflectingOh yeah - and they have big ol' crushes on each other
Relationships: Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Merlin (Merlin)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 45
Collections: Gwen Fest





	I was dancing in the rain, I felt alive and I can't complain

“Hello Gwen!”

Gwen looked up from where she was sweeping the floor, and immediately bumped her head on one of the pans hanging from the ceiling.

“Ouch!” she exclaimed, stumbling.

Immediately there was an arm round her shoulders, steadying her. Merlin’s dark blue eyes looked worriedly into hers.

“You all right?”

“Fine!” she said breathlessly, cheeks heating up. They stood there gazing at each other for a moment before he seemed to realise he was still holding onto her and let go as if he had been burned. 

“Er, good.” He stood self-consciously for a moment. “Sorry, I was just-“ He waved awkwardly towards the door that he had been poking his head round a minute earlier. “Um… how are you?”

She immediately forced a big smile onto her face. “Fine!”

“ _Guinevere_.”

She scowled. He wasn’t even pretending to look convinced. Too late, all pain and terror of the last few days came flooding back.

“Glad to be out of there,” she admitted, voice trembling slightly.

He looked guilty, far more guilty than he had any right to be as he squeezed her shoulder. “I am so sorry you had to go through that.”

She shrugged. “It’s not your fault, Merlin,” she said gently. “After all, you’re the one that got me out.”

He waved her off. “It was Morgana, and Arthur.”

“Was it?” she challenged.

He dropped his eyes and laughed uncomfortably, changing the subject. “So, um, I was just going on a walk...”

He was looking meaningfully at her but she was nonplussed. “Right?”

“And-“ he faltered. “I was wondering if you’d like to come with me?”

Her heart leapt, and she couldn’t contain her bright smile, “I’d love too!”

He grinned happily back. “Great!”

Still beaming, she grabbed her shawl and followed him out of her house.

……………

They wandered along the main path of the woods, gossiping merrily about various members of the court, and taking bets on what Morgana and Arthur’s next argument would be about. They had nearly reached the point where they’d have to turn around and go back – the sun was beginning to set – when Gwen stopped on instinct.

She hesitated for a moment, debating. Then, mind made up, she grabbed Merlin’s arm and pulled him off the main path.

"Come on. I want to show you something.”

He followed her obligingly down the near invisible side path, frowning curiously. His eyes twinkled.

“You know if you’re taking me somewhere to kill me I think I have a right to know.”

She giggled. “Of course.”

Eventually, the path widened out as she knew it would into a tiny clearing, awash with the purples and yellow and blues of wildflowers.

Merlin gasped. “It’s beautiful!” His eyes lit up with wonder, and Gwen watched him happily.

He suddenly bent down and picked a flower and held it out to her.

“Now we’re even,” he said shyly.

It was a purple one. Gwen smiled, blushing furiously, and tucked it behind her ear.

She sat down underneath a large oak tree. It was a familiar spot, but it felt odd to sit there when everything else was so different.

“I used to come here all the time with my brother and our friend,” she told him.

He sat down next to her and looked at her curiously. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

She smiled a little bitterly. “He left about a year ago. We haven’t heard from him since.” She drew her knees towards her chest and wrapped her arms round them. “Don’t even know if he’s… all right.”

Merlin was looking sorrowfully at her. “It’s not your fault,” he said softly.

“And how would you know that?” she snapped, harsher than she meant.

He flinched. “I wouldn’t,” he agreed quietly.

She shook her head, rubbing at her eyes roughly. “I’m sorry. I'm sorry. It’s just- I- I should’ve taken better care of him.”

Merlin patted her arm carefully. “People leave home for all sorts of reasons. I’m sure it was nothing to do with you.” His expression was solemn and sincere. “You’re one of the most caring people I’ve ever met.”

She shifted, unable to hold his gaze. “Thanks, Merlin.”

His mouth quirked up in a smile. “And If he’s anything like you he’ll be fine.”

“Like me?”

His face reddened and he fidgeted, scratching the back of his neck. “You know. Brave. And… clever. You’re- you’re- strong.” He looked up at her through his eyelashes and smiled. “You’re strong.”

Gwen felt her cheeks warm and she didn’t know what to say so she just stared at him and he looked down again after a moment, embarrassed.

The silence stretched on for a painfully long while before she thought of something else to say.

“Did _you_ want to leave home?”

He screwed his face up and shook his head. “Not really.”

“But you did.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “I guess.”

Gwen was intrigued. “Why?”

He squirmed. “Well… my mother knew Gaius, and- and she thought it would be a good for me to… to go somewhere else.”

She frowned. “Wh-“

Just then there was a loud rumble and the heavens opened. Gwen shrieked and leapt to her feet as cold rain instantly soaked her to the skin.

She looked over at Merlin to find him standing, head tipped back, laughing and laughing as rain doused him.

“I love the rain!” he yelled happily. 

“You are way too excited about getting drenched!” Gwen yelled back, but he looked so gleeful that Gwen could not maintain her distress, and laughed too. She shoved him playfully and he shoved her back, and they chased each other giggling back home.

And Gwen looked at him, at his hair plastered to his head and his unwieldy boots splashing through puddles, the sharpness of his cheekbones and the unrestrained joy in his eyes, at the wonderful, lovely, maddening enigma that he was, and she knew she loved him.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Runaway by Aurora, which is such a them song <3
> 
> Comments and kudos appreciated!
> 
> Come hang out on [tumblr](https://donttouchtheneednoggle.tumblr.com/)!


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